Westminster bid to remove Banksy art stalled

The seven-metre-high piece of graffiti art, which is within Westminster’s boundaries, says “ONE NATION UNDER CCTV” and pictures a child underneath holding a spray can beside a CCTV camera.

The council’s planning sub-committee decided earlier this month (16/10/08) that the mural should be removed.

At the meeting deputy leader Cllr Robert David (Con) said: “I take the view that this is graffiti and if you condone this then what is the difference between this and all the other graffiti you see scrawled across the city. If you condone this then you condone graffiti all over London.”

But the council has issued a statement that it does not own the wall and that the current occupier and Royal Mail, which has a depot next door, are establishing who is responsible for it.

“Westminster council will then write to the person responsible and ask for the graffiti to be removed. Westminster council will not be removing the graffiti, that will be for the person who owns the wall. If they want to remove it and sell it, they can. If they just want to paint over it, they can."

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